


Once At a Football Game, I Kissed a Boy

by adorkablehomestuck



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-07
Updated: 2013-08-04
Packaged: 2017-12-14 05:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/833352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adorkablehomestuck/pseuds/adorkablehomestuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Egbert lived, what he considered, the perfect life. Great friends, few problems, good grades. Until the new kid Dave Strider comes along. At first, they were buddies--up until football tryouts. I won't leave you in question. The answer is yes--Dave turns on John after becoming the worst bully in Skaia High.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One - In Which Dave Attempts to Survive the First Day of Highschool

**Author's Note:**

> ~~~ = Character POV switch  
> \--- = Time jump

  A young man stood at his kitchen table, swiftly loading his backpack with homework and lunch. He looked up at his father--who watched him from the counter, pipe in mouth--and smiled. He pushed up his glasses--which were drooping down to the tip of his nose, threatening to fall off completely. The boy said goodbye to his father, who'd said: "See you after work, John. Have a good day at school." Yes, the boy's name was John, and he was currently off to school, as usual. His daily routine was wake up; go to school; go to soccer; come home; homework; video games until one in the morning.

      The routine continued as John stepped out into the crisp October air. He inhaled the smell of due rain pleasurably. The sound of hardened leaves clinking together slightly filled the air, accompanied by the gentle song of sleepy birds.

       John began his way to the bus stop, welcoming wind tousling his immensely dark, brown hair in a friendly sort. He laughed, feeling its motherly tickle remind him of its existence. The peace, though, was suddenly interrupted by:

      "Hey, Derpy!" cried Jade Harley--John's cousin--from the bus stop. Her mass of black hair quivered as she giggled and waved to him.

       John jogged over, rolling his eyes. "Jade, I swear to God. You know perfectly well my last name's Eg _bert_." He came up next to her, his usual playful grin returning.

      "I wouldn't be tossing around _that_ name, either." she teased as the mustard yellow bus rolled up. The usual driver, Mr. Arthur, sat in the tattered driver's seat, smiling merrily. He said his usual "Hey kids!" as the two teens climbed into the bus.

       John took to the window seat; so he could watch the trees and people and cars beneath the height of the bus. He set down his backpack, hearing the _chink_ of items colliding. More kids loaded onto the bus, a bizarre chatter rising and wafting around to prying ears.

       While John was daydreaming, someone else was boarding the bus, too.

~~~

       Dave Strider carefully stepped into the bus--it reeked, like sweat and sour perfume. He sighed heavily. How in hell was he going to survive his new highschool? He was tall, lanky, and boney; so basically he'll be beat up on the first day.

        A couple of jocks stopped roughhousing to stare at him and his--er...-- _newness_. The lot seemed to be making mental notes: _Beat up that kid later._ before returning to impressing girls.

  Dave warily made his way to the back of the bus--which he soon learned smelled of mothballs and dead animal. He pulled up the hood of his beat-up, hand-me-down, grey sweatshirt as he estimated how many wounds he'd need to clean and hide after school.

\---

 

       Dave distinctly recalled a time when he'd asked out a girl. He was eleven and he wanted to take a girl named Jade Harley to the school picnic as his date. She'd agreed and was so excited she kissed him--on the mouth. Dave got sick the night before the picnic, and his older brother wouldn't let him go. When he came back to school, Jade called him an asshole and wouldn't speak to him for a solid month. Dave had officialized that Jade was a total bitch. Then he saw her again.

       He felt his face go as crimson as his Converse. Dave watched Jade chatter to a boy in a blue hoodie and black jeans. He was grinning while she spoke, then they both laughed. Finally, Dave scraped up the mangy amount of courage he contained to go talk to her. He tapped her shoulder and blushed again at the sight of her big, green eyes. "H-Hi... you're--Jade Harley--right?" he said with a weak voice.

        Jade's eyes lit up when she smiled. "Yeah!" she exclaimed. "You're Dave--from fifth grade?" she watched Dave nod feebly. "Cool!" The bell rang suddenly, so Jade waved to the two boys and skipped off. Dave caught a glimpse of the boy she'd been talking to previously. He had messy, unkempt black hair that fell over his bright cerulean eyes slightly. He wore thin-armed glasses that easily magnified the gorgeous eyes, making him look dorky and innocent. He grinned again, revealing dark blue braces over pearly white teeth.

       "You like my cousin, huh?" he said, running a hand through his hair. Dave noticed the height he had on the boy in front of him. A good six inches taller. "She has a boyfriend."

       "Who... Jade?" Dave asked shyly, feeling his face burn once more. "I don't really know her..."

       "Yeah, okay." laughed the boy before holding out his hand. "I'm John. You're new here?"

        Dave nodded and shook John's hand. He glanced at his schedule as the warning bell sounded. "Yeah... we should probably get going." They quickly compared classes to find they shared their first class and all of the classes after B lunch--which they also shared.

        John shot Dave another playfully excited grin before they headed to Biology. Dave caught himself staring at the short boy's eyes. They made his chest flutter--but he barely knew the kid!

\---

        The bell rang, shaking Dave from his careless daze. He stood from the rickety, old desk, stretching and yawning. He was already tired. Good thing it was time for lunch and he could wake up.

~~~

        John stuffed the last of his homework into the already-bulky bag before him. He threw it over his shoulder before stepping out of the classroom--managing to not be trampled.

        He headed outside, where he usually ate lunch with Jade, Karkat, Aradia, Sollux, Terezi, and Vriska. The usual scene was Vriska and Terezi making fun of people or making out, Sollux telling Aradia stories to make her giggle, and Karkat flirting really terribly with Jade while blushing and Jade finding it cute. Then there was John. He had his friends, but all of them together? He was kind of left out. He was excited, though, because of the new kid. Dave could be apart of all of his friends, then John would have a partner! He'd still be the short single kid, but atleast he'd have a friend to count on.

        John found Dave at his locker, looking extremely tired. "Wow, dude, I know it's your first day and all, but if you're already tired you should see a doctor or something." Dave slammed his locker and turned to John.

        "I don't even remember the last time I got the proper amount of sleep." he muttered.

        "I can buy you a coffee," John suggested, flashing another one of his signature grins. He really hoped he'd get Dave to eat lunch with him. "I eat outside with a couple of my friends if you want to come!"

        Dave stared at John, probably processing whether John was being sarcastic or genuine. "Sure," he said finally. His face went crimson--leading John to think the lanky boy in front of him was not good with people. John would be able to change that. He couldn't change how _tall_ Dave was, though. It wasn't like John _wasn't_ used to being the shortest sixteen-year-old on the planet, anyway. "Sounds cool." 

         " _Way_ cool!"  

\---

          John and Dave made their way outside--Dave clutching a coffee in one hand, a lunch tray in the other. John heard the faint chatter of his friends as he led Dave to the usual table. "Hey, guys!" said John cheerfully.

          "Hey, John!" Vriska announced, looking up from her spider-case laptop and grinning. "Who's the dude? You have a _boyfriend_?"

          Dave went crimson (again) and even John blushed. " _Vriska_!" he groaned. "No. He's the new kid--Dave." he suddenly grinned. " _Jade_ knows him."

           Jade's ears went pink. "He's an old friend." she insisted as Karkat frowned in both worry and anger. He shot a death-glare at Dave.

           "U-Uh..." Dave's words stumbled over one another before John came to the rescue.

           "Guys, just leave him alone." his tone sounded like a mixture of worry, distress, and pure whining. "He's new, alright?"

           Vriska and Terezi grinned and looked at eachother. " _Right_ , John. He certainly isn't your new boyfriend!" Terezi cackled, dismissing any arguments with a flick of her wrist. 

            Dave again went red in the face, his bright auburn eyes did not look up from their spot on the ground. "John, I can sit somewhere else." he insisted in a mumble.             "No way! It's cool." John shot a glare at Terezi and Vriska, who both smiled innocently. "Karkat, Dave _doesn't_ like Jade, I promise." Karkat blushed, his grey skin turning candy red. Sollux had stopped telling a story to listen.

             "Thup, Dave." he said finally.

             Aradia smiled at the new kid. "Hi! I'm Aradia." she informed him, sticking out a hand. Dave shook her hand gently and nodded at Sollux. "D'you want to sit?" she asked, waving a hand at the table.

             Dave shrugged uncomfortably. "It's fine," laughed John. He pointed to where he usually sat, and where Dave could sit--right next to him. After a moment, the groups usual chatter arose, filling the awkward silence with interesting conversation. A beam of sun fell over the two boys, warming John from his fingertips to his toes. He stretched comfortably. Dave tugged off his tattered grey sweatshirt, revealing his T.A.R.D.I.S t-shirt. "Bro, you like Doctor Who?" John exclaimed.             Dave's eyes lit up. "Yeah," he said. "Who doesn't?" 

            "Daleks." John pointed out with a grin.

            "Well," Dave said slowly. "A lot more than just the Daleks," and with that, the two boys launched into conversation. They argued over which was more dangerous--weeping angels or cybermen. They had settled their favorite Doctors were seven, ten, and eleven. They settled the best character background was Clara Oswin Oswald. They talked and argued and referenced for so long, they didn't realize the rest of the field had cleared until Terezi and Vriska tapped each of their shoulders. The two girls looked at eachother and grinned. They were planning something--something devious and dangerous.  

            As they walked through the halls, Vriska whispered to John: "He may not be your boyfriend--but you want him to be." John's face burned. He did not like Dave! He just met him and... he was cool, was all. There was nothing else to be said on the matter--nothing at all. He didn't like the new kid.

            "I don't like the new kid!" he said, louder and sharper than intended. Vriska smirked. "I don't!" he insisted shrilly. This did not convince her.

~~~

            "So, Strider," said Terezi Pyrope with a grin. "You really hit it off with John, didn't chya?"

            Dave's face burned. "I... I guess. He's cool..."

              "Please, he's a total _dork_!" Terezi cackled. "You just think so because you think he's cute and charming." she teased, sticking out her teal tongue and nudging him.            

              " _What_?" Dave exclaimed, blood rushing to his cheeks once again. "I do not!"

            "Yeah, okay, Lover Boy," Terezi counterattacked. "I may be blind, but I can atleast smell that you're dying for him."

             Dave scowled. Yeah, John was cool, but he wasn't head-over-heels in love with him! He just met him and... he was cool, was all. There was nothing else to be said on the matter--nothing at all. He didn't like the short kid.

               "I don't like John!" he said, louder and sharper than intended. Terezi smirked. "I don't!" he insisted shrilly. This did not convince her.


	2. Chapter Two - In Which Dave and John Find a Stray Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay  
> It's a fluffy filler--don't hate me.  
> It'll get good in Chapter Three (or four haha)

      Dave jolted awake to the sound of crashing pots. "Bro!" he cried angrily. "Stop trying to cook, dammit! You're gonna wake Dirk up!" He relutantly shoved off the comfort of bedsheets to wake up. He glanced at the clock; 6:02. "Shit! Shit shit shit shit!" Dave hurriedly jumped out of bed: only to end up sprawled on the floor. He hadn't time to even groan--for he needed to get up.

       With a shove of negative energy, Dave rose to his closet. Staring at the contents inside, he huffed. They were all hand-me-downs because Bro and himself couldn't buy nice clothes. He was very poor, living in a shitty apartment building with no friends. Wasn't much of "the life", but he considered it enough. Dave tugged out a decent looking red hoodie to wear over any bullshit shirt he desired. It happened to be a Dalek t-shirt, because Dave didn't own any solid-color shirts. He was such a dork.

        Finally dressed, he tackled his mess of blonde-ish reddish hair, and failed miserably. If Dave could fix anything about himself, it'd defiantly be his hair. Hair problems aside, Dave went into the warm kitchen, the smell of bacon attacking him. "Dammit, Bro. You could've saved me a decent breakfast." Dave said to older brother before plopping into a seat.

        His brother licked his lips and grinned. "Sorry, Lil' Bro. Too slow." he said, attempting to snatch another piece of microwaveable bacon--but Dave got it first.

       "Hah!" laughed Dave, stuffing the greasy meat into his mouth. He smirked as his baby brother, Dirk, waddled into the room. "Hey, Little Bro." Dave said, scooping the child onto his lap. Dirk giggled. _Adorable_.

        Bro watched quietly, a small smile at his lips. He looked of a proud father--though Dave nor Dirk knew who their father was. "He was awesome," Bro had told them before, though Dirk was clueless, as a baby is. "So was Mom. She was a badass." Dave didn't know for sure, but thought maybe his brother was tearing up behind his shades, the way his voice had wavered slightly. Now, though, the three Striders sat comfortably together as an almost family.

 

 

\---

       

        Dave pulled his backpack onto his shoulders, when out of the blue: Bro pulled him into a hug, which was an unusual occurrence. Bro placed his large chin on Dave's head. "Bro? What's wrong..?"

        "Nothin'..." he said. "Love you, Lil' Bro."

        Dave smiled and chuckled. "Love you, too." Bro released him to school. Dave suddenly missed his brother's arms. He felt safe and secure, like nothing could hurt him if he was with Bro. Dave just so happend to miss something else. It just so happened the thing he missed was the bus. He fell into another cussing fit, watching the bus drive passed. Another just-so-happening was another boy had missed the bus.

 

 

~~~

         "Damn it!" cried John, his backpack straps dangling from his fist. He'd lost track of time that morning, and no one woke him up because his dad had gone to work early. Just his luck. He walked to the bus stop in low spirits, assuming he'd have to walk--or run--to school. At that moment, John heard the pounding of feet behind him. He'd just turned around, seeing a flash of red and blonde before _smack!_

He'd collided with Dave, now toppled over in a heap of arms and legs. "Ow..." John moaned, seeing he was underneath Dave. Luckily, neither of them broke anything. " _Dave_?"

           Dave looked down at John for a moment, then laughed. John laughed too, just because Dave's gorgeous laugh was highly contagious. They scrambled to their feet. "Sorry, John." laughed Dave, his face and ears pink.

          "No harm done," John assured him. "Why were you running?"

          Dave sighed in exasperation.  "The bus," he answered. "I missed it."

         "Me too," said John with slight excitement. "we can walk together!"

           Dave chuckled. "Sure." And so they walked.

 

 

   ---

           Halfway to school, Dave claimed he heard a wimpering. "What _is_ that?" he wondered aloud, stopping by a musty ally.

           "I don't know..." John said. "Probably a stray dog? It's probably scared of all the people." he suggested, walking back over to Dave.

           Dave bent down to look under a dumpster, and sure enough, a puppy lay scared and quivering. "Oh God," Dave said sadly. "It's terrified." Dave then did something John wouldn't have known how to do. "Here, buddy," called Dave soothingly to the puppy. "It's okay, litte guy, c'mon..." he continued in a soft, silky voice.

John watched in amazement. "C'mon, it's okay--that's a good boy! C'mere--good boy!" Dave exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as the puppy crawled over to Dave to sniff his hand. The puppy licked it gently before barking joyfully. It had muddy brown fur with a white stomach and a scar on its side. It was also a boy.

            "Dave!? How did you _do_ that?" John asked in awe as the puppy hopped around Dave.

            "I've always wanted a dog!" Dave laughed, scooping up the puppy and bringing it to John. "Wanna name him?" he asked excitedly.

            John grinned. "Let's name his Paws," he suggested, pointing at the scar on the puppy's side. "His scar looks like a paw!" Dave grinned as well. With that, the walked to school with a puppy.

 

  ~~~/---

   Paws squirmed excitedly in Dave's grasp as the two boys entered school. Not bothering being late to their first class, the boys instead went straight to the nurse's office where she could take care of Paws.

      The boys had a little while to whatever they wanted while they waited for the next class. They roamed a bit before coming to the bullieten board filled with notices ("Try out for the Baking Club! It would be sweet!" and "Potterhead? Join the Harry Potter Club!" and "This Just In! Join the Journalist Club!").

       A bright blue paper with big, bold words that read:

_ATHLETES JOIN NOW! FOOTBALL TEAM TRYOUTS THIS FRIDAY!!!!_

caught Dave's eye. He didn't know why--for he was terrible at football. Atleast, he thought he was, he'd never played. "Whatchya lookin' at?" asked John curiously.

        "Just checkin' out the football flier." said Dave dismissively.

        John paused a moment, doing a double take on Dave. "You could play." he said simply.

        "Really?"

        "Yeah!" John exclaimed. "You'd be great!"

        Dave smiled and nearly blushed. "I guess I could try out," he said uneasily. "If you come too! If I get beat up, I'll need someone to get the school nurse."

        John laughed. "Yeah, alright, cool kid. I'll come." At that moment the bell rang. Dave felt lighter. Did he just..? _No_! They're two bros going to a football game.

 


	3. Chapter Three - Football Players Don't Apologize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay  
> Whale  
> I PROMISE it'll get juicy and shit in Chapter Four.  
> I SWEARRR

     Dave sighed shakily as he knocked on John's door. The first thing that popped out of his mouth once seeing his friend was "What if I make a fool of myself?!"

     John laughed under his breath. "Dave, you're gonna crush it! Don't worry, dude." he assured Dave, nudging him playfully.

     Dave smiled gratefully, enjoying the rush of relief he felt at John's presence.

     The two boys walked their way to school, having taken the bus that morning, they had to walk--the bus didn't come at 6:00 P.M. So they walked, making little conversation and enjoying the silence; enjoying eachother's presence and warmth.

~~~/---

     "So," announced Coach Mitchell gruffly. "yeh _pansies_ think yeh have what it takes ter become football playas, eh?" The football field was dotted with either huge brutes or thin nerds. Dave was somewhere inbetween. John, a handful of other boys, and a whole load of pretty girls sat in the stands. Some of the guys on the field were grinning broadly at girls. John rolled his eyes in unamusement--big-headed idiots.

     Most of the guys looked so sure of themselves they couldn't be bothered to listen. "Right. Yeh'll be showin' me whatchur got. Can't handle it--don' play. Got it?" The wannabe-football-players nodded.

~~~

     Dave, feeling feeble and unsure, nodded with the rest of the guys. The really, really _big_ guys. The guys that could crush Dave under their pinkies. Good God he was so screwed. Dave was surely in for a good beating after failing miserably at football. He'd understood the rules, but there was no way in hell he'd beat the gigantic jar-heads before him. It was such a slim chance, him murdering Paws was a greater chance than Dave succeeding at making the football team. Dave would never do that, though. What with Paws living with him, since Bro approved and Dirk basically fell in love with the puppy. Adorable.

     Nonetheless, Dave was more focused on how to treat his future wounds than listening to the Coach's drawling Irish accent. "GET IN POSITION, YEH WEAK-SKULLED NINNY!" Coach Mitchell yelled furiously. Dave blinked before realizing he'd spaced out completely.

     "Sorry, Coach..." he barely muttered.

     "Don' apologize," he grunted. "football playas don' apologize."

\---

       To Dave's surprise: he did well. Extremely well. Well like he got slaps on the back from the huge jocks. He surprised himself even more when he, even if he didn't know whether he'd made the team or not, ran over to John and hugged the wind out of him. They got weird looks from couples but Dave didn't care; he was too excited. John laughed supportively. "Great job, Dave! You're shoo-in!" That simply made Dave squeeze tighter.

       He unhitched himself abruptly. "Thank you," he said. "I wouldn't be here without you."

       A faint, pink blush spread across John's face. "O-of course you would! You were amazing out there!"

       "I wouldn't have been out there without your encouragement," Dave said softly. "Thank you so much."

        John's face turned crimson, as hard as he tried to abolish it. "I-I..." he smiled. "You're welcome, Dave..."

\--- [AS IN LIKE A WEEK LATER]

        "'Sup, Squirt?" a jock--that came seemingly from thin air--said smoothly.

        "Er...m" stammared Dave. "N-nothin'..." Dave nearly rose his hand to hide his face. He knew the jock wasn't going to hit him, he just had an instinct to.

        "So, you were pretty badass on the field last week. Cool enough, even, to become a real jock." the jock held out his hand. "Name's Jonah." Dave shook Jonah's hand and told him, Jonah, his name. " So, Strider,I sorta own the suckers on the football team. But you... you're different. You're good enough to 'rule' alongside me." Jonah grinned. "Whaddya say?"

         Dave pondered on the opportunity. He wasn't a leader type, but he hadn't been beat up for a week and a half. He was looking forward to keeping the peaceful streak. After a while, Dave put on what he hoped looked like a cool grin and said: "Sure. Sounds," he paused for effect. "cool." Jonah smirked.

\---

        "Archie, Willowby, Bull, Wolf, Blade, Ron, Jar-Head, Logan," Jonah drew a breath. He was naming off the football players that had made the team. Dave had made the team; John and him had celebrated with Corny Movie Marathon and Giving-You-A-Heart-Attack Popcorn. "Micheal, Caparco, Chris, Mark," Jonah pointed at Dave. "Strider." Dave grinned again, getting very good at cool-grinning.

         "Sweet." he'd also picked up on many "cool" terms.

         "'Aight. I guess we have to go to class, if we don't want the teachers on our ass. Let's go." Most of the guys parted ways, but Dave and Jonah shared homeroom.

         As they walked, the students around them quickly moved out of the way in clear fright of angering the jocks. Dave smiled weakly at a brunette girl with big-framed glasses who looked on the brink of tears. She suddenly looked like she could swoon and pass out. Dave blinked in surprise but kept walking. "Hey, Dave!" exclaimed a familiar voice. Dave turned and grinned at John. Not a cool grin, but a dorky grin he always had around John.

         "Hey, John." he said. Before the two Marvel fanatics could launch into conversation, Jonah raised an eyebrow.

         "Who is he?" Jonah grunted.

         Dave's face flushed. "He's just my friend..." he said quietly. Jonah looked disapproving.

         "He'll give you a bad rep'."

         "I _already_ have a bad rep'." Dave said in exasperation. "How worse can it get?"

         "It'll get better--you're a football player now. _He_ isn't going to help it at all."

          John looked both angry and hurt, but Dave insantly stood up for him. "Look, John is my best friend. I don't care about my _rep'_." John then looked taken aback but his face was pink.

         Jonah scowled. "You'll be off the team then!" he grabbed Dave's arm and pulled him away. Dave frantically mouthed "I'm so sorry!" to John. John nodded, his face laced with worry; his eyebrows knitted.

\---

        "The first game is next week," stated Jonah. "Be there or I'll beat you up." He pounded his fist into his hand. Everyone filed from the locker room, Dave trying to, but he was stopped. It was the back-up quarterback, Willowby.

        "You tried to refuse Jonah and didn't get beat up afterwards?" he asked in a low, growling voice that fit him well. The huge guy had shaggy blonde hair and rock-brown eyes. He currently looked like a child trying ice-cream for the first time: mystifyed and dreamy. "Your either really good, or he's got some sort of weird man-crush on you." Willowby's eyes flashed.

         "Er... okay..?" Dave said reluctantly.

         "You're lucky... everyone looks up to you now. You're almost cooler than Jonah. And by the way, my _first_ name is Cody." Cody seemed very smart--too smart to be a football player. "Ty, Aleks, Eddie." he pointed out Bull, Wolf, and Blade.

         Dave nodded. "Thanks."

         He slipped away into the fresh night air. Was Cody right? Was he really looked up to? Did he really have to lose John to stay on the team? Of course not! If Cody was right, Jonah would never give up Dave. No harm, no foul. Nothing was going to change... right?

        

 


	4. Chapter Four - Dave Wins the Asshole of the Year Award

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KAY  
> SO  
> ALL OF THE WORK I DID WAS DELETED AND REPLACED WITH CHAPER THREE  
> SO MY CHAPTER FOUR DRAFT WAS ALL GONE.  
> WHAT. THE. HELL. ARCHIVE?  
> SO I HAVE TO REWRITE IT.  
> I'M SORRY FOR THE DELAY .  
> JUST.  
> UGH  
> I'M SO PISSED RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE NO IDEA

      --Two weeks later, John's POV--  
      

        John sighed angrily and slammed his phone onto the table. Dave hadn't picked up his call _again_. John had tried and tried, but Dave seemed to be avoiding him. He'd been hanging out with Jonah and avoiding John in the halls. Or just John altogether. Over the weeks, they'd been growing apart... since John suggested football... Dave slowly stopped coming over John's, he ate with the jocks, he skipped classes, he was always hitting on girls--especially Jade. Dave even changed his look entirely. A leather jacket over a solid red shirt; black skinny jeans; red Converse; dark mirror shades hid his gorgeous auburn eyes; he somehow managed his strawberry-blonde hair.

        John had to come up with excuses every time his dad asked why Dave stopped coming over. John stopped going to the after-school activities he and Dave signed up for together. He was pretty sure Dave stopped going, too, but John wasn't going to risk it. John had stopped sitting with his other friends, just sitting alone under a tree. He found himself lonely. No one to talk to. Jade stopped taking the bus to school, she carpooled with Karkat and Sollux instead.

     --TIME FOR SCHOOL--

        "Bye, Dad!" yelled John, slamming the front door behind him.

        "Wow, what did that front door ever do to you?" laughed someone. John, startled, glanced down to see Vriska.

        "O-Oh, hey, Vriska..." he said softly.  

        Vriska raised an eyebrow. "What's got you down, Mister Glummy McSadSad?" She often tried to lighten the mood with silly words, which made John like Vriska a lot. They were, in troll terms, moirails.

        "Oh! It's..." he nearly poured his heart out to her. "nothing..."

        "Oh please, Egbert! I can tell when my human moirail isn't happy. You're always overly perky, so it's kinda obvious." John stepped down the stairs to reach Vriska and frowned.

        "I said it's nothing." he insisted.

        "Look, you're big blue eyes are about to fill with tears so might as well tell me before you cry with no reason." Vriska frowned, her expression laced with concern.

        John nearly told her it was nothing again, but if he opened his mouth he'd burst into tears. "I..." he burst into tears.

        Vriska looked everything but surprised. "C'mere, you big dork." she wrapped him into a hug. "Shoosh... it's okay..." she cooed. Vriska was the best friend anyone could ask for. She was genuine and kind behind her evil overcoat. Very few could see that. "Care to tell me what's wrong now?" she murmured, holding John at arms' length by the shoulders.

        John looked as if he'd cry again, but instead, he spoke. He burst into a wavering explaination. He told her about Dave, and school, and missing everyone. His mouth was like a broken dam, unable to hold anything until empty and repaired. He'd emptied, but John was far from repaired.

        Vriska hadn't said a word, only nodded and made facial expressions. She instead pulled John into a tight hug after he'd finished. "It'll be alright..." she murmured into his hair. "I promise you..." she pulled back and smiled. "No one can resist the Egbert Charm for long." she nudged him playfully, making his face crack into a grateful grin.

        "Oh yeah, I'm the Charmer," John said. "The ladies love me!"

        "Right, Egbert, the only ladies that'll love you are me and Harley." Vriska teased, entwining her fingers with John's. That's how it should always be. John having fun with his moirail, laughing and smiling genuinly. He wanted to pause time right there, when all the terrible thoughts were gone. It was a lovely Friday morning, John and Vriska holding hands and laughing. Why wasn't it always like that?

\---

        "Good morning, students!" boomed Mr. Santenello , the overly-happy, chubby little principal, over the intercom. "A special announcment is to be made! Exactly next week is a Friday! It is also the last football game of the school year!" Hardly anyone went to football games, anyway. "Anyone who shows up to this special football game," Oh dear Lord... "will be given extra credit to the subject of your choice!" And there it is. John didn't need extra credit, but he wanted it anyway.

         "I'm not going," Vriska informed him. "It's lame."

         "Yeah, and you know what else is lame? Your History grades. You're going, Vriska." John stated firmly.

          Vriska blushed in embarrassment. "Fine, you're right..." she muttered.

\---

           John pushed open the bathroom door, eyes on his textbook. He knew it was dumb to read and walk, but his Physics test was in three days. After hardly entering the bathroom, he heard a pained grunt. "You don't ever insult the football team!" hissed a husky voice. "This is only what you deserve!"

          John dropped his textbook, but couldn't make himself run, no matter how hard he tried to force himself. The sight was all too horrific. A boney kid with broken glasses and papers lay sprawled on the floor, bloody and bruised. His dark brown eyes were wet and his pale face was stained with blood and tears. A huge towered over the weeping boy, fists clenched. There was someone else, too. A someone that wore mirror shades and leather jackets over red shirts. The jock and Dave looked over at John in surprise. Angry surprise.

~~~

        Dave looked up at... John? John... Dave nearly burst into tears--thank God Jonah suggested shades for a cool factor. He kept his face stone cold, but didn't dare speak. Instead, Jake, a kid on the team, growled. He was a gorrilla of a guy, no problem being intimidating. "What the hell a'e you?" _Who._ Dave mentally corrected.

        "Ah... ah..." John choked out. His face was flushed red, he was trembling, and looked like he could collapse in sobs at any moment. "I-I'll just go-o..."

        "Oh no you don't, yeh little punk! You ain't goin' anywhere after seein' that!" Jake grabbed John by the collar, fuming. Dave stood, still as stone, by the other boy--Joseph.

        John's eyes filled with tears, Dave bit his bottom lip. No... don't hit him... please don't hit him... leave him alone... he didn't do anyth-- oh... John was on the ground, his jaw brused. "C'mon, Strider, get this lil' punk!" Jake growled. No... I don't want to... why am I walking over there... why am I lifting him... I can't do it...

~~~ [John]

        Please, Dave... don't...

~~~ [Dave]

       I have to... I don't want to... "What are you waiting for?!" Jake yelled.

~~~ [John]

       Something flickered across Dave's face. It was sympathy... pain... rue... Then the agony shot through John like a knife drilling through his body. The sharp pain shook his weak bones and bounced in his skull. He was dropped to ground, warm blood spilling onto his shirt. He looked up at Dave weakly. Dave was shaking very slightly, but John noticed. Then he blacked out. The last thing he heard was: "Just leave 'em here... they'll be awake by the end 'a the day." Blood pounded in John's ears, his heart beat so hard against his chest it hurt. Why couldn't everything go back to normal? Why was the pain suddenly after John? Why? What dd he ever do..? Wh...y... h...im?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so while I was writing this  
> I nearly cried  
> though I know the ending and I know this is fictional  
> what the hell brain?


	5. Football Games and Near-Death Expierences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KARMA, BITCHES.  
> EAT IT STRIDER.

\- Day of the Football Game, Dave's P.O.V-

     Dave stared at himself in the mirror. His eyes were puffy and pink; he'd been bawling his eyes out for the last week. He'd skipped every practice and avoided everyone in the halls--including Jonah. He couldn't stand hearing his own voice, knowing it was something he didn't use to stop himself... from hurting John. Dave knew John surely was going to hate him forever. All he wanted was his best friend back, and Dave didn't give that to him. Instead, he stuck with the jocks.

     Dave knew he couldn't skip the final football game, so he splashed icy water onto his face. Though it was mid-June, and school was nearly out, Dave was cautious to hide his scars with long-sleeved shirts. The recent ones were on his ankles, so they were easily covered with socks... He couldn't handle how awful he was anymore. He deserved the pain inflicted on himself. He was horrible.

     Once Dave dressed, he barely said his farewells to Bro and his younger sibling before sprinting from the house. He was paranoid that Bro would see the freshly darkened slits on his lower arms. Dave kept his pace until reaching the end of the sidewalk, where he let out a heavy sigh and gasped for air. He rolled up his sleeves, making sure none of the newer cuts had reopened. He had no idea someone was watching.

-John's P.O.V-

     John needed to resist the urge to turn on his heel and run in the opposite direction when his eyes landed on Dave. He was gasping and panting like he'd just been running. John felt concern spurt inside of his chest, but he pushed it down. He slowly made he way towards Dave, but didn't dare draw attention to himself.

     John's eyes widened. Dave's breathing slowed, and he rolled up the sleeves of his white long-sleeve. John watched in awe as Dave's lower arm was revealed; it was covered in scars. Some were lighter than others, but they all criss-crossed over eachother. All holding a story; all having a reason. There were so many... John's stomach dropped just picturing Dave dragging a blade across his skin. John remembered the laugh lines beside Dave's eyes that erupted whenever he cracked even the smallest smile... how could such a beautiful, happy person have such a dark story?

     John barely noticed Dave had began walking again until he looked up and found that Dave was no longer checking his scars. Shaking his head, John began walking to school. His mind raced, thoughts about Dave and scars overwhelmed his brain. Why hadn't Dave told him about the scars? Was Dave seriously depressed? What were the stories behind each scar? Most importantly: why did John care at all?

-At the football game, Dave's P.O.V-

     The game raced around Dave, making his head pound. He felt lost, like eveyone knew what they were doing and he was a confused child. He was a confused child; nothing more. He felt a weight weigh down on him, his bipolar disorder getting the best of him. He stood tiredly, everyone swarming around him. People cried at him angrily, scolding him, telling him to do something. He couldn't. The feeling was so sudden.

     Another feeling was suddenly imploding his temple. It felt like it drilled through his skull. The football could've been a drill with how fast it was launched at Dave's head.

-John's P.O.V-

     John did not, under any circumstances, want to be at the football game. A week before, he was sort of excited. He wanted to congratulate Dave on an amazing game, but he didn't dare look Dave in the eyes.

    He sat in a high spot in the bleachers beside Vriska, staring at the game blankly. The bruises had become faint; his swelled lip had shrunk; the blood had stopped flowing from his shoulder. He was still shaken from the awful memory.

     John watched the jocks run around on the field and throw a ball at eachother... well, that was what he saw. He had to stop himself from zoning in on Dave. He still had a burning passion towards the Strider.

     John found himself staring at Dave again, but so was everyone else. He'd stopped moving. Stopped running completely. It was like he just woke up from a nap and was thrown into a football field. John was confused, but also concerned. Was it Dave's depression; his bipolar disease? John wasn't really going to do anything, until the football collided into Dave's temple.

    "DAVE!" John cried, his eyes suddenly wide and wet with fear. Vriska reached out for John's hand with a frantic grope, but John was already trampling down the bleachers. The coach tried to stop John as well.

    "Kid, whaddya doin'?" the coach yelled angrily, his eyes not leaving Dave's limp body as school nurses filed onto the field.

     John tried running up to Dave, but someone stopped him. It was a woman in a black suit with a visitor's pass around her neck. "Woah, woah, woah. You know this kid personally?" she asked John impatiently.

     "Yes!" John wimpered, tears threatening at his eyes.

     The woman looked unimpressed. "Who are you to him?" she inquired flatly, as if it were an every day thing to be guarding an unconcious body.

     "Who.. who..." He couldn't say best friend... "He's my boyfriend! Please!"

     The surprise on the woman's face was visible, but it disappeared with the blink of an eye. "Fine, make it quick."

     John stumbled over to Dave. He looked dead. The thought made all of the spill over. Salty tears rushed down John's face and dripped onto Dave's jacket. Some fell onto Dave's pale, lifeless cheek. A single tear fell on Dave's mirror sunglasses. John slowly pulled the glasses from Dave's eyes and closed them. Dave's eyes were closed, making him look peaceful, like he was just sleeping. He looked younger.

    John half-expected Dave to wake up and everything to go back to normal, but he knew better. His life wasn't a storybook or a movie, it was real. Dave could've been killed, he could've been in a coma. He might never wake up for all John knew. John rested his forehead on Dave's stomach and sobbed. He knew Vriska would come to comfort him, but he wanted to be alone. Everyone was bustling around him, and before he knew what was happening, he was pulled off of Dave and left with Vriska to be taken care of.

-Dave's P.O.V-

     "What just happened?" asked Dave. "Where am I?" No answer, just echoes. A buzzing sound rang in Dave's ears, but it was faint. "What's going on?" he demanded. He was so lost, it was like no one heard him. It was all black, Dave was yelling into the darkness; he couldn't even see himself.

     "Is anyone listening to me?!" He went silent as a pair of people began speaking.

     "Woah, woah, woah. You know this kid personally?" asked a woman's voice. It was sharp and cold, heartless.

     "Yes!" cried a weak voice. A voice that Dave had heard so many times. A voice he loved to hear.

     "Who are you to him?" So many words popped into Dave's mind. Best friend. Crush. World. Love...

     "Who... who..." John sounded lost for words. "He's my boyfriend! Please!" Boyfriend... if it were true...

     "Fine. Make it quick." the woman ordered.

     Why was John there? Why did he care; after all Dave did to him? He suddenly felt wet drops tickle his cheek. His glasses were removed. Someone rested onto his stomach and cried. He felt awful just laying there. He wanted to sit up and hug the life out of John. He wanted to cradle him and assure him he was alright, that everything was fine. Dave couldn't move, though. No matter how hard he tried. He tried to sit up, he tried to hug John, he tried to speak. He couldn't do it though. He felt weak and disappointing. Nothing happened, though. He couldn't do a thing.

    He felt John struggle to stay with him, but was eventually pulled away. And just like that, Dave was left alone once again. No one was there to warm him, to tell him everything would be alright. Dave was once again left with no one and nothing, only the lonely feeling to consume him. He dreaded the days to come.


	6. Every Day, Nothing Is Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yAY SADSTUCK FILLERS -throws confetti-

-John's P.O.V-

   Every day. John visited Dave in the hospital every day. Upon finding out Dave went into a coma, John went to the hospital every day after school. He'd ask Dave's doctor how Dave was doing, he'd often get a positive responce. It was awful to John, knowing that his once best friend thought he was hated. Dave could die at any moment, thinking he was hated by the one who loved him most.

   John sat beside Dave's hospital bed. "Hi, Dave..." he began. "Yesterday, people were talking a lot about you--in a good way. A lot of people wanted to make a statue for you or something, but whenever they sketched it, I told them they had it wrong. They forgot your battle scars, but you can't blame them. You kept them hidden, I don't know how. But Dave, you should really let them be more open. You're a fighter, not a weakling. I never want to be the cause of those slits... because I love you, dude..." John felt the tears stream down his face. Every day he cried. Every day he wanted to stay strong for Dave. Every day he broke down.

   "I-I'm sorry..." he sniffled and wiped the tears with the back of his hand. John wore the smile of a broken boy with a grey heart. A continuous raincloud drooping over his head. The once happy boy having his walls collapse over him, leaving him without air or sunlight. He was left to suffocate in his own sadness. "I really am... I never hated you, Dave... I miss you so... so much..." his voice cracked at the end, raising it to a raspy whisper. John didn't try to stop the heavy flow of tears that slipped down his face, padding onto Dave's covers, a dull and pale purple color that gave off a depressing mood. As if John wasn't depressed enough.

   "I won't do it, though... I promise. I will never... for you. I want to be here when you wake up..." he gave another broken smile the the lifeless body with a dull expression and a barely-beating heart. Dave's shades were rested on his stomach. "I wish you'd let everyone see your eyes... they're beautiful..."

   The door creaked open, revealing a tall figure and a small, chubby one. "Er..." the tall figure mumbled, his voice would've sounded seductive and smooth, but it was watery and shaky. The small figure wimpered. "You must be John."

     John's eyes widened. "I-I..." he took in the figure. "You must be... Bro..." his voice was also small and sad.

    Bro stepped over, tugging gently on who must be Dirk. The toddler struggled to keep up with Bro's stride. He loomed over his younger brother's motionless body. "He likes you, y'know," Bro said softly. "A lot. He talked about you all the time... he cried over you... saying he treated you like shit." He shook his head slightly.

    "He... does?" John felt a pang of guilt drive through his chest.

    "All the time, kid," Bro answered. His gaze never left Dave. "Be good to him, will ya? He deserves someone good..."

    "Of course..." John's voice barely rose from a weak whisper. He stared at Dave, his heart pounding in his ears. "Of course..." he echoed his own words mindlessly.

 

-Next day, school, lunch-

    "Did I get it right, John?" asked Jade hopefully. She held up a gorgeous drawing of Dave, with sharp pencil lines and the smallest of details were made noticable. Jade was possibly the best artist in school.

    "Nope." John said quickly, not even giving it a glance.

     "John!" Jade whined. "You didn't even look at it!"

     "I know you got it wrong, though." he said simply, focusing in on his sandwich. It tasted just as dull as Dave looked. Even a tangy, juicy strawberry would taste dull to John. Everything did. Everything tasted, looked, smelled, even felt dull.

     "How?" she questioned irritably.

     "Dave wouldn't want me to tell."

     "And how would you know? Dave and I are friends; he'd tell me." Jade shot back sharply.

     "You think so?" snapped John, suddenly angry. "He didn't even tell me!" he sounded louder and angrier than intended. He dropped his sandwich onto it's napkin and look down. His hands sat in his lap, fidgeting.

     Jade stared at him for a long time, her mouth pursed in a thin line. "I know why you're acting this way, John, but you don't need to be a total asshole because you feel like shit." she spat coldly. Jade began picking up her bag when John reached up and grabbed her wrist, not looking up.

     "Give me the paper and the pencil." his voice was hard and cold as stone.

     Without hesitation, Jade scrambled for the items and placed them in front of John. He slowly took the pencil in his right hand and stared at the nearly-perfect drawing before him. "It's nearly perfect, Jade..." he said softly, a slightly kind singe to his words. His face was still grave, as it usually was nowadays. Jade drew in an excited breath, but didn't speak a word. He reluctantly brought the pencil to Dave's smoothed wrists and scratched the pencil along them, leaving hardly a millimeter of space between the ends of each line and the sides of the wrists. He continued the marks to the end of his forearm. "Perfect." he whispered.

     John handed Jade the drawing and pencil back. "Now it's perfect." his hair drooped over his face, giving him a depressed sense.

     It took a long time for Jade to digest the blemishes on Dave's arms. "He... he..."

    "Don't say it," John spat quickly, clenching his fists. "Dont you even say it."

     Jade pulled a hand to her chest, her expression pained. "Oh, John... I had no idea..."

     "No one did," he muttered. "not even me." He felt the uncomfortable mixture of sadness and anger fill his chest. He cringed slowly, dragging out excrushiating details of distress, not purposely. He wasn't sure if the tears the blinded him were angry or depressed.

     "Oh, John..." Jade said again, dropping beside him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

     All of the feelings John was experiencing faded at once. He missed hugging his beloved cousin. He buried his face into her shoulder and felt the tears that waited patiently for a good time to spill avalanche along his cheeks. "It's okay, John..."

     It wasn't okay. Nothing felt okay anymore. Nothing was worth deciding if it were okay. Nothing was okay. Nothing mattered.

     A wicked darkness chomped mercilessly on John's fragile insides. He felt hollow. He seemed so pale and sad. He always seemed like a ragged, wet towel. He was so down. He hardly spoke, hardly smiled, hardly did anything. He was trapped in his own mind of nasty thoughts. He gave to cold shoulder to anything that moved. He blocked out the world. He was the splotch of grey in a world of color. Dreary and drained, it didn't look like anything could save John as he drowned in emotionless sorry. One thing and one thing only could possibly keep him from going under, and that one thing better hurry up and recover. Things looked impossible for John Egbert.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey look a Archive noob !  
> This is my first story on here so don't hate me .  
> I have it on Quotev aswell. http://www.quotev.com/story/3260596/Once-At-a-Football-Game-I-Kissed-a-Boy-Dave-x-JohnHomestuck/


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